Happy 75th birthday zebra crossings!
Zebra crossings turn 75 this year!
- Published
There are two big things happening on 31 October.
The first is, of course, Halloween.
But did you know it's also the anniversary of the first permanent zebra crossing in the UK?
Do you have to cross one on your way to school?
It's been 75 years since they were first introduced in Slough, in the South of England.
You might use one every day, but do you know where they come from, and what other types of crossings you might see on roads in the UK?
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What is a zebra crossing?
Zebra crossings, like the animal they're named after, can be recognised by their big black and white stripes.
They're also usually accompanied by big glowing amber orbs on poles, called Belisha Beacons.
Belisha beacons are actually older than zebra crossings. They were introduced in Britain in 1934 by the then Minister for Transport, Leslie Hore-Belisha.
These lights were used on their own for years before the black and white stripes were added
Before then, big metal studs on the pavement were the only indication of where pedestrians could cross the road.
They weren't very visible at any time of day to drivers, which is why the lanterns were installed.
Then, after some research by the Transport Road and Research Laboratory, the black and white stripes were added.
The first one was installed in Slough, on 31 Ocotober 1951.
Abbey Road in London has arguably the most famous zebra crossing in the world, as it was the setting for an album cover by The Beatles
What other types of crossings are there in the UK?
Pelican crossing
These are places on roads by traffic lights, where pedestrians can press a button to signal they are waiting to cross.
Their name is made up of bits of the phrase 'pedestrian light controlled crossing'.
They were introduced in the 1960s, and were the first pedestrian operated traffic light system in the UK.
Green and red people symbols are used to show when you can cross the road at these types of crossings
Puffin crossing
These are very similar to pelican crossings, but with a tech upgrade.
Puffin stands for Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent crossing, and they use sensors to detect where pedestrians are.
If there are people waiting on the pavement, the lights will turn red, and if someone is taking longer than usual to cross the road, the light can stay red for longer too.
Another difference is that the red and green person symbols used to show when someone should walk are lower down, where the pedestrian is, as opposed to higher up on a pole on the opposite side.
Toucan crossing
Again, very similar to its winged cousins, a toucan crossing has buttons and symbols to show when people can walk.
The main difference is that there is also a symbol that signals when bikes can start moving, too.
